Isaac grabbed a towel off of the rack and used it to wipe off the foggy mirror. Grabbing the comb that sat by the sink, he quickly ran it through his hair. Stepping from the bathroom and into his bedroom, he walked to the dresser and grabbed a shirt, slinging it over his shoulder.
Stepping out of the room, he started down the steps.
Pausing for a moment, he smiled.
He felt unusually good today, like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He noticed there was a sort of bounce in his steps, and he was actually humming.
What things music could do for you.
As he made his way to the bottom, he swung around the post and into the living room.
Stopping immediately, he sighed, staring hard at the figure on the couch.
Zac lay stretched out, eyes closed, his chest rose and fell with his breathing.
He was sleeping, every time he breathed only a small peaceful sound was released.
Shaking his head, Isaac walked past his brother and into the kitchen.
Stopping once again, this time at the sight of a note.
Walking to the counter, he picked up the white piece of typing paper and held it in his hands.
Ike-
I know how much you'd just love to see me get in trouble with Tammy, but if you'd refrain, I'm sure there will be more chance in the future. I promise. For now, if you would wake me up when you get done taking your shower, and give me directions to Tammy's office, that'd be great, preferably get me up at least 15 minutes before I have to be there, so I'm not too late…you know. I'm sure it's about 9 right now as your reading this, and your original plans would have been to wait till…oh say 9:29, but do it just this once.
Thanks. Zac
Isaac smiled once or twice as he read through his brothers letter.
"He thinks I'd do something like that just to get him in trouble."
Isaac grinned.
"I would."
Looking up at the clock on the microwave, Isaac shrugged.
"Nine ten. 5 minutes. Or should I wake him up now."
Isaac contemplated whether or not to get him up now, and have to deal with him for 5 more minutes, or let him sleep.
"Fine. I'll just wake him up now."
Isaac set his shirt down on the counter and walked back into the living room.
Walking to the sofa, he sat down on the edge.
Trying to wake his brother up by shaking, noticing that didn't work, so shaking and telling him to wake up at the same time, finding that still didn't work, then yelling and shaking harder…and found that that actually worked.
Zac's hands slowly made their way up to his face, and yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"Get up, it's ten after."
Zac yawned once more and sat up, blinking and staring awkwardly at Isaac.
"What time is it."
"I told you. Ten after."
Isaac watched as Zac pulled the hair out of his face and made a pony tail that looked more like one giant knot.
"You want a brush for that?"
Zac shook his head and yawned once more, rubbed his eyes then leaned back.
"I need directions to Tammy's office."
Isaac smiled a little and watched as Zac leaned down to put on his shoes.
"You know our address here right?"
Zac sat up, squinting his eyes as if the worlds hardest math problem were in front of him.
"Nope."
"Kay we're on 5743 N 11th, okay? Appartment 12."
Zac shrugged and motioned for Isaac to continue.
"Go out the front door, take a right, and head down our street till you hit Wisconsin, Take a left, and there's a bus station about 6 blocks down."
Zac frowned.
The thought of having to ride a bus anywhere was a gross one. They managed to creep him out, and they were noisy too.
"Yeah, a bus. The bus runs the rout all the way up Wisconsin until it intersects with Colfax, it'll be the 6th stop on Colfax alright?"
Zac yawned once more then nodded.
"Get off the bus take a left as your getting off, and take a right at the corner you first come to. Go down about 2 blocks and Tammy's office is on the right hand side of the street. It's a print shop."
Zac nodded and continued examining the dirty tan laces on his shoes.
"Need bus money?"
Zac slowly looked up at Isaac.
Isaac, was actually going to give him money. Was actually going to help him out, and he didn't even have to work for it. Sure, it would only be like 75 cents, but still, that was 75 cents more then Zac had right at the moment.
"What do I have to do for it."
Zac grunted, narrowing his eyes in curiousity.
Isaac half frowned half smiled at his brother.
"Nothing."
"Your going to give me money."
He stressed the 'give', as his brain was trying to recover from the surprise.
"Yeah, and I was thinking about giving you money to pick up some breakfast too, unless you don't want it. Is that too much of a surprise for you? You want me to just keep it and you can walk?"
Shaking his head Zac looked away from Isaac.
"No, I was just wondering why your gonna give me money."
"It's only a couple bucks that your going to get, not like it's a grand or something."
Zac shrugged.
"Whatever, if you're willing to hand it over, then go for it."
Isaac's mouth turned up slightly in the shape of a smile as he stood up.
"I'll be right back."
Zac sighed and slouched back into the sofa, watching his brother walk into the kitchen.
This was a little weird, he couldn't stop reminding himself that it WAS only a couple bucks, but if you'd talked to Isaac a few weeks ago, Zac wasn't worth a half penny.
Walking back into the room, a folded 5 in his hands, he sat back down next to Zac, tossing the folded bill into Zac's lap and pulling his shirt over his head.
"Five bucks."
"Sure."
"Your going to give me five bucks?"
"Well your holding a five dollar bill in your hot little hands aren't you?"
"Yeah, but…but…you're giving it to me? Your not going to ask for change or anything?"
Isaac turned to his brother, amused at the shocked tone in which Zac was questioning him now.
"Like I said it's only 5 bucks, not the lottery."
"Well yeah…"
"Well I'm getting ready to leave, I have class, if you don't want the money I'll take it back, no problem."
Zac shook his head a little and stuffed the 5 in his pocket.
Standing up, Zac stretched, yawned then walked to the door.
Isaac sighed and shrugged, figuring he was a little dumb for actually thinking he'd get a thank you from Zac, when his brother stopped, turned around and shrugged himself.
"Hey Ike."
Isaac turned around.
"Thanks."
Zac turned around and opened the door, stepping out onto the porch and into the sunlight, as Isaac stood up inside, a smile growing on his face.
"Piece of junk."
It was already almost 9 in the morning, Taylor had woken promptly at 7, no reason in particular, matter of fact he hadn't even gone to bed until 6. A nap, that's what he would call it. He wasn't even tired right then. He had too much on his mind. Zac and all, what a wonderful night. Pretty much Brent's fault anyway, now wasn't it.
He'd gone home the night before, punched a few walls, the floor, moped around, hadn't even eaten anything as of yet.
How could that kid put so much stress on him anyway? Was it just the fact that there was such a bad history behind them? Or was it the fact that the two of them just didn't get along anymore. Maybe it was just the fact that Zac was still closer the Hanson family then Taylor probably ever would be again, jealousy then?
No Taylor thought, not jealousy. He had gotten pretty much exactly what he had deserved, well sort of. Being exiled from your family, your home. That was…a little much maybe. Or maybe it wasn't. Some of the things he'd done, were…pretty deceitful. He supposed however, that they would come around sooner or later.
He found a channel displaying the news and stopped, walked back to his plastic lawn chair and sat, crossing his legs and resting his elbow on the arm of the chair.
Leaning his head on his hand, he closed his eyes.
What exactly was it that Zac was so mad about. Really, Taylor couldn't quite remember. He knew Isaac was mad because he'd lied and cheated, stolen even from him, but that was another story. What exactly was it though that Zac had been so torn over.
Taylor popped his eyes open and looked around the room, as if something there would remind him. However the bare walls and the dusty tv didn't really add any ideas.
It really didn't matter now, he supposed. Whatever it was that ate up Zac's love for his brother was obviously enough to stick, shoving a pretty big wedge that MIGHT someday be moved with a lot of force and tension. Doubtful however.
The more he thought about the previous nights 'up in your face not really yelling' match, the slightly more angry he got. It wasn't that Zac was in his face, telling him to…well to fuck off, and other such attractive phrases, but it was the fact that Zac was his brother, and there were things you just didn't say to your brother, even if he HAD been exiled. Taylor shrugged.
Now he had to think whether or not he really cared for Zac, and the other parts of the family that he'd left a while ago. Did he really want to be a part of that? Obviously a little part, because after last night he'd had a sliver of guilt, and then a part of his brain was telling him to shut his big mouth and say sorry.
"Did I though?"
Taylor shook his head.
He figured things weren't going to get better. Not at the rate they were going, worse was probably the only 'real' way out he could think of, maybe after he got in a car wreck, finding there were kids in the car and that he had terminally injured one and realizing what he had done, locking himself in his room to rot, or if he found out he lost his apartment, ended up on the street, smelling like a dog and bumming money off of the rich lawyers walking around downtown, maybe then it could just maybe get better.
He shrugged.
Whatever his mind felt like battling out right at that moment, he really didn't want a part of it. Walking over to the phone hanging on the wall, he picked it up, dialing Brents number.
"I need something to distract myself."
